4. The Birds and The Butterflies - When you throw out leaves from your yard, you could be throwing out butterfly and moth pupae that were laid on them. Come spring the birds rely on that pupae to feed their babies.

5. Waste - Approximately 33 million tons of yard waste ends up in landfills. The leaves and grass clippings aren't bad, but the plastic bags they are disposed of in are because they don't decompose. If you have to rake your leaves, compost them or send them to a community garden.